Identification and analysis of the pigment composition and sources in the colored cocoon of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, by HPLC-DAD.

Zhu L, Zhang YQ - J. Insect Sci. (2014)

Bottom Line:
It was found that the mulberry leaf mainly contained four types of pigment: lutein (30.86%), β-carotene (26.3%), chlorophyll a (24.62%), and chlorophyll b (18.21%).The results showed that there were generally two kinds of carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene) in the silk gland and cocoon shell, a little violaxanthin was detected in silk gland, and the pigment found in the blood was mainly lutein in all varieties of silkworm tested.The method used to detect visible pigments reported here could be used to breed new colors of cocoons and to develop and utilize the pigments found in mulberry.

f04_00: Composition and content of the pigments in mulberry leaves (leaf position was 5 or 6).The data in the figure are average values (±SD) of three repeated measurements. High quality figures are available online.

Mentions:
The mulberry leaves used in this investigation came from the most common variety (Husang 32), and the leaf samples were taken from leaf position 5 or 6. The pigments in the leaves were extracted with acetone and detected using RP-HPLC, which produced the chromatogram shown in Figure 3. After comparing the retention time and the UV-visible spectrum to the standard samples, the four main peaks shown in Figure 3 were identified as: lutein (RT = 18.05867 min), chlorophyll b (RT = 26.74133 min), chlorophyll a (RT = 27.41333 min), and β-carotene (RT = 30.19733 min). The above four pigments in mulberry leaves were the main pigments found, and the concentrations of the pigments are shown in Figure 4. The lutein concentration was highest (30.86%), followed by β-carotene (26.3%), chlorophyll a (24.62%), and chlorophyll b (18.21%).

f04_00: Composition and content of the pigments in mulberry leaves (leaf position was 5 or 6).The data in the figure are average values (±SD) of three repeated measurements. High quality figures are available online.

Mentions:
The mulberry leaves used in this investigation came from the most common variety (Husang 32), and the leaf samples were taken from leaf position 5 or 6. The pigments in the leaves were extracted with acetone and detected using RP-HPLC, which produced the chromatogram shown in Figure 3. After comparing the retention time and the UV-visible spectrum to the standard samples, the four main peaks shown in Figure 3 were identified as: lutein (RT = 18.05867 min), chlorophyll b (RT = 26.74133 min), chlorophyll a (RT = 27.41333 min), and β-carotene (RT = 30.19733 min). The above four pigments in mulberry leaves were the main pigments found, and the concentrations of the pigments are shown in Figure 4. The lutein concentration was highest (30.86%), followed by β-carotene (26.3%), chlorophyll a (24.62%), and chlorophyll b (18.21%).

Bottom Line:
It was found that the mulberry leaf mainly contained four types of pigment: lutein (30.86%), β-carotene (26.3%), chlorophyll a (24.62%), and chlorophyll b (18.21%).The results showed that there were generally two kinds of carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene) in the silk gland and cocoon shell, a little violaxanthin was detected in silk gland, and the pigment found in the blood was mainly lutein in all varieties of silkworm tested.The method used to detect visible pigments reported here could be used to breed new colors of cocoons and to develop and utilize the pigments found in mulberry.